《無上祕要》Vol. 4

The Supreme Secret Essentials, Scroll Six, Fourth Section

The Treatise on Kalpas and Cosmic Cycles

The Celestial Worthy said: After the Longhan kalpa, Heaven and Earth were destroyed, and an immeasurably long succession of kalpas passed. At that time, there was no light above, nor any color; below, there were no depths. Wind and water had vanished into emptiness. All around was dark, shapeless, shadowless, and boundless, and no one knew how long this state of chaos endured. This period was called “Yan’kang.” Only when the “Chiming” period began and light appeared did Heaven and Earth settle once more.

When a kalpa ended, Heaven and Earth were again destroyed and returned to a state without light. Even after five kalpas, all remained dark and chaotic, while the Three Qi—the three primordial energies that form all things in Heaven and Earth—moved in accordance with the cycles of cosmic fate. In the “Kaihuang” period, Heaven and Earth settled once more.

The Great Supreme Lord of the Dao dwelt in the Hall of Great Blessings, in the Land of Chang Le, for seven million five hundred thousand kalpas.

The Azure Emperor, the Heavenly Lord, dwelt at the eastern extremity, in the Biluokongge realm of the Great Fuli Kingdom, for nine million nine hundred thousand kalpas.

The Red Emperor, the Heavenly Lord, dwelt at the southern extremity, in the Chiming Kingdom of the Chanli world, for three hundred thousand kalpas.

The White Emperor, the Heavenly Lord, dwelt at the western extremity, in the Land of Supreme Bliss of the Weiluodatang world, for seven million kalpas.

The Black Emperor, the Heavenly Lord, dwelt in the Yudan Kingdom of the Yuanfu Qixian world for five million kalpas.

The above is from the Scripture of the Numinous Writ of the Cavern Mystery.

The Celestial True Sovereign and the Supreme Emperor Celestial Worthy personally experienced the sun and moon moving with the cycles of cosmic fate, and time changing with them: at times bright, at times dark; at times destroyed, at times delivered through; at times dying, at times newly born. Their bodies endured the destruction of Heaven and Earth and witnessed its repeated decline and flourishing, as Heaven and Earth continually changed. These transformations are profound and remote, beyond the scope of ordinary people’s thought and discussion. Since Longhan, there have been ninety-nine million, nine hundred thousand successive kalpas.

The above is from the Scripture of Inner Sounds of the Various Heavens in the Cavern Mystery.

The Flying Celestial Spirit Beings of the Ten Directions—the flying deities from the heavenly realms of the ten directions—told the Great Supreme Lord of the Dao: Since traversing the thirty-two heavens within the Three Realms, they had passed through many great cycles. Heaven and Earth had repeatedly come into being and been destroyed in accordance with the cycles of cosmic fate, bringing changes of life and death again and again, not just once. By the present opening of the Chiming cosmic chart, nine thousand seven hundred billion myriad kalpas had passed.

The above is from the Scripture of the Numinous Chapter of the Empty Cavern in the Cavern Mystery.

The Dao says: The Gate of Heaven, the pivot of the heavenly realm’s movements, lies at the northwest corner of Heaven, corresponding to the Northern Dipper. The Dipper’s seven stars are the guiding framework and handle of the Gate of Heaven, and also the jeweled canopy of Yuchen. The breaths of the Brahma-practicing Nine Heavens and the Twelve Branches move the Gate of Heaven as the Dipper’s handle turns; the Nine Heavens revolve along with it. Heaven has four seasonal gates, and the Nine Heavens together comprise thirty-six seasonal periods. Each day and night, the Dipper’s handle turns according to its proper pattern.

The Scripture on the Turning of the Passes (the successive movement through the passes): At each gate of a seasonal cycle, thirty-six days and nights pass, making thirty-six cycles. Once all thirty-six cycles are complete, this makes one turn of the Nine Heavens; three hundred and sixty circuits make one cycle of the Nine Heavens.

When one cycle of the Nine Heavens is complete, the Qi of the Six Heavens returns. The Upper Three Heavens and the Three Heavens change their course, hastening their convergence in order to speed the process. Three thousand six hundred cycles make the transition of a minor kalpa.

At the transition of a minor kalpa, the Nine Qi are set in order anew, the myriad emperors change places, people perish and ghosts are extinguished, while the good endure and order is restored. The Six Directions and Eight Points of the Compass become tranquil and unified. One thousand nine hundred cycles of the Nine Heavens mark the end of a great kalpa.

At the end of a great kalpa, the count of the Nine Heavens is exhausted and the cycles of the Six Heavens run out. As the Six Heavens near their limit, Qi surges through the Three and Five. All manner of demons and malign forces rage and act at this time, releasing poison and threatening the people. This happens because their cycles have run their course and their allotted numbers are exhausted; they seize the moment and stir up these calamities.

The earth’s mechanism lies in the southeast, below the Nine Springs. At the mouths of the Nine Rivers, its numinous force breathes in and out. The mechanism connects upward to the source of Heaven, where waters are sifted and poured down, and spreads sideways to swallow the depths and hidden reaches of the Nine Caverns. The twelve divisions of time drive the waters through the Four Convergences, turning them eastward. As day and night pass, Qi accumulates; this accumulating Qi gathers at the mechanism of the Nine Rivers. After thirty-three days and nights, the mechanism turns northwest, swings northeast, and extends southwest. When it draws in, the waters overflow; when it extends, they recede. It completes a circuit of the Four Convergences. Waters flow down from the source of Heaven, and waves surge up from the Nine Springs: this is one circuit. Three hundred and thirty circuits make one measure. At each measure, the Mother of Waters hastens to meet the Dragon King, and the River Lords present themselves before the Three Heavens. Three thousand three hundred measures are called Yin obstruction. When Yin is obstructed, it is eclipsed; when eclipsed, the waters surge. When the waters surge, rivers burst their banks, mountains sink, and the earth is submerged. Nine thousand three hundred measures mark the end of a great kalpa and the limit of the Yin cycle. At that time, the Nine Springs surge in vast waves, the Mother of Waters drives forward, mountains and seas merge into darkness, and the Six Directions and Eight Points of the Compass lie level and still. This is the Yin cycle at its fullest, and the Qi of the earth in violent surge.

The round heavens have twelve cords, and the square earth has twelve divisions. The cords of Heaven turn the passes: three hundred and sixty circuits make one cycle. The divisions of Earth drive the mechanism: three hundred and thirty turns make one measure. Three thousand six hundred cycles of Heaven’s movement bring about Yang’s violent surge; three thousand three hundred turns of Earth bring about Yin’s eclipse. The Qi of Heaven reaches its limit in Great Yin, and the Qi of Earth reaches its limit in Great Yang. When Yang surges, it erupts; when Yin is obstructed, it is eclipsed. When Yin and Yang erupt and eclipse, the Qi of Heaven and Earth turns against itself. This means that the Yin and Yang Qi of Heaven and Earth become reversed and clash violently, bringing about the great upheavals described above: the cycles of calamity, surging waters, and the submergence of the earth.

Plain-Language Commentary on The Supreme Secret Essentials

Minor and Major Kalpa Transitions

People call this, conversely, the transition of a Minor Kalpa. At such a transition, the myriad emperors change places, the Nine Qi alter their courses, the sun and moon grow shorter, and the land surges upward. The mother springs of the Nine Abysses burst (the nine underground sources collapse), and the five rivers overflow. Great birds gather at Dragon Gate, and the Five Emperors convene at Xuandu. At this time, the wicked and impure are wiped out, and only good people survive.

After 9,900 cycles of the heavenly movement comes a Yang eclipse; after 9,300 revolutions of the Earth comes a Yin upheaval. When Heaven is eclipsed, Qi is exhausted in the Greater Yang; when Earth is upheaved, Qi gathers in the Greater Yin. Thus, when Yang declines, an eclipse occurs; when Yin is stirred to excess, an upheaval follows. When Yin and Yang undergo eclipse and upheaval, Heaven and Earth are transformed. This is called the transition of a Major Kalpa. At that time, Heaven turns upside down and Earth is overturned; seas surge and rivers burst their banks; people sink and mountains disappear; gold and jade dissolve; and the six directions merge into darkness and oneness.

From the Scripture of the Correct Law of the Three Heavens of the Cavern of Perfection

Deliverance as a Major Kalpa Approaches

As the great kalpa of Heaven and Earth nears its transition, the supreme perfected divine lords of the heavens and the Perfected Beings of wondrous practice descend to the Five Sacred Peaks and gaze from afar upon the people of utmost learning throughout the world. As floodwaters fill the sky, they send five dragons to receive these people and bring them to a blessed land, so that they may share with the Primordial Beginning in sinking and in being born anew.

From the Scripture of the Jade Instructions of the Cavern of Mystery

Xuandu Jade Capital and the Turning of the Kalpas

The Most High Lord of Numinous Treasure governs Mount Xuandu Jade Capital and the Seven-Treasure Mysterious Terrace. The Perfected Beings of wondrous practice from the ten directions and the multitudes of great flying immortals all float through the air, burning incense and scattering flowers. They make three circuits each day, holding banners adorned with tenfold blossoms and chanting the chapters of the Cavern.

The sun and moon revolve in their cycles, and the Seven Stars turn the celestial passes. Every 330 days, the Heavenly Pass turns once around the mountain; after 330 such circuits, the Nine Qi converge; after 3,300 circuits, the Qi of Heaven and Earth converge. This convergence of the Qi of Heaven and Earth is the transition of a Minor Kalpa. After 9,900 circuits, the Major Kalpa comes to its close. At that time, Heaven sinks and Earth disappears, the nine seas merge into a single dark expanse, gold and jade dissolve, and not even the tiniest trace remains.

The Imperial Rulers: The Three Sovereigns and the Three Caverns

The Yellow Emperor said: “The Three Sovereigns are the revered divine lords of the Three Caverns and the ancestral Qi of Great Being.

• Lord of the Heavenly Treasure is the primordial source at the head of Great Cavern, Great Origin, Jade Mystery.
• Lord of the Numinous Treasure is the first source of Cavern of Mystery, Great Simplicity, and the Conjoined Origin.
• Lord of the Divine Treasure is the wondrous Qi of Cavern of the Spirit, Brightness, and the Great Void.

Thus, the Three Origins condense and transform, and are called the Qi of the Three Caverns. The Caverns are high and empty, belonging to the realm of Great Luo. Therefore, Great Cavern is above Jade Clarity, while Cavern of Mystery lies in the realm of Highest Clarity…”

The passage above concerns the cycles of kalpas in Daoist cosmology, including Minor and Major Kalpas, Yin-Yang eclipses and upheavals, and the transformation of Heaven and Earth. It also draws on works such as the Correct Law of the Three Heavens and the Jade Instructions, describing how five dragons receive people of learning at a kalpa transition so they may share life and death with the Primordial Beginning. The final section aligns the Three Sovereigns with the Lords of the Heavenly, Numinous, and Divine Treasures, and with the Qi of the Great Cavern, Cavern of Mystery, and Cavern of the Spirit. The technical terms have been retained in standard Daoist usage, and the sequence of the source text has been preserved.

On the Three Caverns and the Three Sovereigns

The general title “Cavern of the Spirit” corresponds to the Original Qi at the level of the Supreme Ultimate and the Great Cavern. Its incarnation is the Heavenly Sovereign. The Earthly Sovereign corresponds to “the Qi of the Cavern of Mystery.” Here the scripture also says that “the Qi of the Cavern of the Spirit” is governed by the Human Sovereign; many editions of the Daoist Canon read “the Qi of the Cavern of Truth” at this point, as other versions may be consulted for comparison. Each of the Three Sovereigns governs one aspect: the Heavenly Sovereign governs Qi, the Earthly Sovereign governs spirit, and the Human Sovereign governs life. Qi, spirit, and life together form De (Virtue/Power), from which all things are brought into being.

The Eras in Which the Three Sovereigns Began to Rule, and the Heavens They Governed

The Heavenly Sovereign arose in the Jiazi year, at the beginning of “Primordial Establishment,” and governed realms including Great Primordial Heaven, the Three Mysteries, and Empty Heaven.

The Earthly Sovereign arose in the Jiashen year, at the beginning of “Great Numinosity,” and governed the Three Primordials, Plain Void, and Jade Heaven.

The Human Sovereign arose in the Jiayin year, at the beginning of “Void Accomplished,” and governed the Seven Subtleties, Vast and Dense Heaven, and Void Jade Heaven.

Lifespans, the Eight Emperors, and Ministers Who Assisted in Rule

The spirit of the Heavenly Sovereign was born before Heaven and Earth. Later, it descended among humankind to transform the world and govern its affairs; after ruling for eighteen thousand years in each period, it ascended. Eight Emperors then succeeded one another in governing, in an era before Nüwa and Fuxi. The numinous books and wondrous methods they received were used to assist sage kings and help administer affairs of state. Any emperor or ruler who appeared in the world was also sure to have a corresponding sacred presence, to benefit the world and establish its teachings, so that the Great Dao could be put into practice among humankind.

The Heavenly Sovereign’s Reign: Receiving the Text, Beginning Anew, and Yielding to the Earthly Sovereign

During the Heavenly Sovereign’s reign, he set in order the affairs of Heaven and Earth’s Renewal—a new cycle of creation and calendrical reckoning—and opened and received the Imperial Text, establishing teachings for later generations. He recorded in full the acts of creation and institution. After three thousand six hundred years, the Heavenly Sovereign transformed and departed. The Earthly Sovereign then received the mandate of the era and took up the administration of affairs in succession. The Earthly Sovereign next petitioned the Supreme Ultimate above and received the Earthly Sovereign’s text, to determine the transformative course of Heaven and Earth’s next renewal. He also received the chronicle of Great Being, to direct and order the things brought forth by the new transformation and bring all things to balance.

The Heavenly Sovereign had received a command from Great Being, a title of a revered deity in the upper realm, and obtained the Mysterious and Wondrous Chart and Books and the Fourteen Chapters of the Imperial Text. He summoned the spirits of Heaven and Earth and the revered deities of the High Nine Heavens to examine and verify the beginnings of Heaven and Earth’s changed cycles and the transformation of all things.

The Earthly Sovereign: Continuing the Reign, Examination, and the “Seven Hundred and Twenty Gates”

The Earthly Sovereign subsequently continued this work and again received the Imperial Text from above. He then summoned the assembled spirits and, following the mysterious charts and books of Great Being in the Mystery Within, examined the kinds of ghosts and spirits and the new forms brought forth by Heaven and Earth at that time, as well as whether the governing directives for the various directions, categories, and numbers were appropriate. At this time there were also blessed lands between Heaven and Earth. Within them, beings could take form without dispersing, and although things might suffer hardship, they would not die. They could enter the seven hundred and twenty gates—a classification of methods in the Daoist Canon often referring to ways of preserving the spirits, refining the body, and changing one’s appearance and kind. The outer form could change in accordance with transformation, while the original mind remained unmoved; those who endured in accordance with their allotted destiny could attain proper stability. After each had ruled for three thousand six hundred years, the Heavenly Sovereign and the Earthly Sovereign could both transform their forms into spirits.

The Human Sovereign

The Human Sovereign arose once more and took up the administration of affairs. He again received secret writings of Great Being from above and summoned the spirits of Heaven and Earth, along with the fathers and mothers of the various deities of the High Nine Heavens, revered progenitors of the upper-realm pantheon. He further used the correct… The original text breaks off here; the lost continuation must be consulted in other editions.

An Accessible Reading of the Supreme Secret Essentials

General outline

All the methods and teachings, and all that is absent from them, are further examined and set in order. Among the seven hundred and twenty methods, they serve as the foundation for nurturing all things in the world and establishing their guiding principles.

From the Scripture of the Three Sovereigns

The Three Sovereigns say: The Way of Heaven is vast, and the worthy and the foolish alike receive its influence. The strong dwell in the west, the weak in the east. The Nine Heavens stretch across the land, and the Nine Earths converge from north to south. Rulers and ministers are established below to form states. Following Heaven brings good fortune; going against it brings misfortune.

From Laozi’s Daodejing

The Dao is the hidden root of all things, a treasure to the good and a means by which even the unworthy can preserve themselves. Fine words can win high rank, and good deeds can earn people’s respect. If someone has done wrong, the Dao does not cast them aside. So when an emperor is enthroned and the Three Ministers appointed, even an offering of a jade disc preceded by a procession and followed by four-horse chariots is worth less than sitting quietly and presenting this Dao. What the ancients held precious was this Dao. Why not seek it each day and find it? Even those who have sinned may use it to escape calamity; this is why the whole world cherishes it.

The Lands and Their Peoples

The East

Ninety thousand li from the Central Land lies the Kingdom of Heluoti. Beyond it, in the blue sea, is Fusang, an expanse ten thousand li across. There, the Great True King has a separate seat of government.

Beyond Fusang lies Shengzhou, bordering Penglai to the west. It extends two thousand five hundred li and lies two hundred thirty thousand li from shore. Tens of thousands of immortals live there. The climate has neither cold nor heat but remains mild throughout the seasons, and the land grows many kinds of immortal herbs that enable people to fly through the air.

East of Fusang, in the Eastern Sea, lies Zuzhou. It extends five hundred li and lies seventy thousand li from shore. There grows the herb of immortality.

The South

There is the Kingdom of Yishatuo, eighty-one thousand li from China, also called the Kingdom of Fuli. Beyond it, at the furthest edge, lie the wilds of Dongyang, also known as the Kingdom of the Fire Court. Outside the kingdom is Changzhou, also called Qingqiu, in the Southern Sea. It extends five thousand li. There is also Yanzhou, in the middle of the Southern Sea, extending two thousand li.

The West

The Kingdom of Niweilulüna lies sixty thousand li beyond China, at the furthest edge of the ridges of Haosu and the wilds of the Cold Caves. Outside the kingdom is Liuzhou, south of the Western Sea. It extends three thousand li and lies one hundred ninety thousand li from the eastern shore.

Fenglinzhou lies in the middle of the sea and extends one thousand five hundred li.

The North

The Kingdom of Xuntuluo lies fifty thousand li beyond China, at the furthest edge of the wilds of Shuyin.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Wushang Biyao (Supreme Secret Essentials)

The Land of the Court of Gouchen, also called the Land of the Celestial Mirror, lies beyond Xuanzhou. Xuanzhou is 7,200 li across, surrounded on all sides by the sea, and 360,000 li from the coast. It is governed by the Perfect Lord, the Immortal Earl of the Great Mystery Capital.

There is also Yuanzhou, which covers 3,000 li and lies 100 million li from the southern shore. Above it is the Land of Primordial Essence, Pure and Natural, beyond the Nine Heavens. It has no color, image, form, or shadow, and it encompasses all the heavens. Within it stands only the Purple Palace of Jade Void, a purple palace in the immortal realm of Jade Void, formed from the smoke of the Empty Grotto and set within the pure clarity of the subtle void.

(The above comes from the Jing of the Grades of Foreign Lands in the Dongzhen Cavern.)

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning told the Dao Lords of the Five Directions: “This True Writ, the authentic secret of the Great Dao, emerged here in the Year of the Dragon Han, when the Daoist cycle of tribulations first began. At that time, I joined with the Jade Emperor, Great Sage Most High, to compose ten wondrous scriptures and thereby save people. For this reason, this land was named the Land of the Great Hall of Blessings and the Abode of Everlasting Joy. Its ground is paved with molten gold, and its stairways and roads on every side are adorned with jade and colored glass, shining with brilliant light. The men and women who live here enjoy long lives. They do not die before their time, suffer any of the many hardships, or undergo the Eight Calamities, the eight kinds of great disaster.”

The Land of Dongji Biluo Kongge, the Great Fuli: Its ground is made entirely of jade, and its stairways on every side are adorned with gold, silver, and precious gems, all arranged in perfect order and shining brightly. The men and women of this land never grow old, feel sorrow or grief, suffer pain, or know distress. Their lives are devoted entirely to peace and joy.

The Land of Chiming in the World of Chanli at the Southern Pole: Its territory is red as rouge and constantly gives off a crimson glow, like clouds tinted deep red. Its stairways on every side are made of colored glass, brilliantly radiant and shining throughout the land. No sounds of sorrow are heard here; only people who never grow old are seen.

The Land of Xina Jade in the World of the Great Hall of Weilu at the Western Pole: Its ground is paved entirely with white jade, and its stairways are made of gold. Precious gems on every side shine brilliantly, illuminating the land. Here, one hears only refined music, never the sorrowful cries of its people. The men and women throughout the land all have golden faces, their features solemn and radiant as if gilded.

The Land of Yudan in the World of Yuanshi Fuxi at the Northern Pole: Its roads are paved with crystallized water-jade and colored glass. The land has a Cold Pool that stretches 500 li in both length and width. The men and women there drink and eat the ice from the pool, whose surface is as smooth as jade fat. They never fall ill or suffer distress, and live for 30,000 years without dying before their time. After death, their bones do not turn to ash.

The following is a plain-language interpretation of selected passages from the Supreme Secret Essentials, arranged according to the structure of the original.

Source: Cavernous Mystery Lingbao Scripture

General meaning of the original: Do not exalt ritual and music; take only a straightforward heart as your foundation. This land is also called the “Country Without Calamity.”

On the Meaning of the Teaching

Make the great dwell in the small, and the rich dwell among the poor. Reside in the low valleys and roam in the humble depths. Subtlety is the foundation for establishing oneself; fewness is the root; fear is the dwelling; anxiety and caution are the gates.

Good fortune is the foreshadowing of calamity; benefit is the source of harm; order is the basis of disorder; survival is the cause from which ruin arises.

A ruler of high De (Virtue/Power): Simple and unadorned, without esteeming refinement; not governed by the desires of the ears and eyes, but holding fast to the mystery. Free of intent and thought, like something not yet rooted; keeping to emptiness and nothingness, in accord with nature; blending into undifferentiated unity and returning to the root.

The highest intention: Set things right without form and bring them into order without sound. Bring forth good fortune before calamity arises, and cut off calamity before it is born. That is why people in the world find it difficult to know its name.

Those of lower De are different. They seek high rank, wealth, honor, beauty, pleasure, and fame. When calamity arises from these, they worry; when robbers and enemies attack, they fear; when their person is humiliated, they retaliate. They rely on their own efforts to grow and seek blessings for themselves through giving. They have prescribed methods for their affairs and rules for every turn. They reward the good and punish the wicked, yet feign benevolence and deceive with false loyalty. They call this fame and achievement, but in truth it runs counter to the Dao.

(The above is from the Scripture of Wondrous Truth.)

On Governance by the King

Heaven decrees the taking of life; human beings follow the nature and life bestowed upon them. Do not strike down those who do not oppose Heaven, and do not kill those who do not oppose humanity. Thus, when the king’s law calls for someone to be killed but spares them, it lets Heaven’s thief go free; when the law calls for someone to live but does not spare them, it destroys Heaven’s De. When governance works this way, later generations end up with cumbersome statutes and harsh prohibitions. This is the root of overcoming De. Nothing is greater than De; above all, it means letting people live.

The Way of Heaven benefits and does not harm; the way of the sage acts and does not contend. Thus, one who contends with the times prospers; one who contends with other people meets misfortune. For this reason, even with armor and weapons, one does not display them: this is because one does not contend. What is inauspicious is something people do not contend for; what is degrading and shameful is something people do not want. If you can accept what people do not want, that is enough; if you can obtain what people do not contend for, you will be at peace.

Those bold enough to dare: They exercise authority widely, decide well, remain composed, and take pleasure in transmitting benefits to the state and its people. They do not shrink from the powerful, their authority shakes the officials, and they overpower forces beyond their borders. Governing this way, they attain only half of what is good.

Those gentle enough not to dare: They are yielding and self-effacing, fearful and careful in speech, thoughtful and far-sighted. When facing affairs, they consider the dangers, work to uphold patience and harmony, and give generously. Governing this way, they too attain only half of what is good.

Note: “Straightforward heart,” “Country Without Calamity,” “high De/lower De,” “contending with Heaven/contending with people,” and “bold enough to dare/gentle enough not to dare” all draw on the political ethics of Laozi, Huang-Lao thought, and early Daoism. They may be read alongside chapters 5, 6, 7, 16, 22, and 78 of the Dao De Jing.

First passage (from the Miaozhen Jing)

A person of responsibility follows the way of Heaven and the way of Earth. Nothing is more efficacious than a heart of utmost sincerity. With benevolence, take pleasure in giving; with justice, decide what is right and wrong; through ritual propriety, maintain respect; through wisdom, ward off harm; through trustworthiness, bring undertakings to completion; through virtue, practice forgiveness. Forgive others as you would forgive yourself, and enforce the law as you would treat your own children. To govern affairs in this way is the highest good.

Second passage (from the Laozi Daode Jing)

Do not exalt the worthy, and the people will not contend. Do not prize rare goods, and the people will not steal. Do not display desirable things, and people’s minds will not be unsettled. When the sage governs the world, they empty the people’s minds, fill their bellies, weaken their cleverness, and strengthen their sinews and bones. They always keep the people free of knowledge and desire, and ensure that those who presume to be clever do not dare act recklessly. In this way, nothing remains poorly governed.

Third passage (from the Laozi De Jing)

Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish: do not turn it over too often. When the world is governed through the Dao (the Way), spirits do not display their powers. This does not mean that the spirits lack powers, but that their powers do not harm people. The sage, too, does not harm people. Since neither side harms the other, their De (Virtue/Power) comes together and gathers.

Let the state be small and its people few. Let the people have tools but not use them, and value their lives without moving far away. Even if they have boats and carts, let there be nowhere to ride them; even if they have weapons, let there be nowhere to display them. Bring the people back to the simple life of tying knots to keep records. Let their food taste good, their clothes be beautiful, their homes comfortable, and their customs a source of joy. Neighboring states can see one another, and the sounds of their chickens and dogs can be heard across the border, yet the people grow old without visiting one another.

The rivers and seas can become kings of the hundred valleys because they are good at staying below them. So if the sage wishes to lead the people, they must speak humbly; if they wish to stand before the people, they must place themselves behind them. In this way, they may occupy the highest position without burdening the people, and stand at the front without harming them. The world gladly supports them and never tires of them. Because they do not contend, no one in the world can contend with them.